A/N—My last story was well liked and a very gracious reviewer requested that I write a follow up. Here is the follow up. Please enjoy and as always please review. No pressure.
This is a two-chapter story.
To Be or Not To Be
By: Merciful Heavens
More perfect weather had never been seen before on the grounds of Hogwarts. Still there was something in the air that caused apprehension. Or maybe it had nothing to do with nature; and Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, was simply apprehensive about asking his deputy to marry him. But at that moment he was blaming the weather.
"You look wonderful, Headmaster! She will swoon." His bedroom mirror said proudly, hoping to encourage the pacing man.
"What?" Albus exclaimed. He turned quickly to the mirror, which soon realized its mistake.
"I meant she would be very impressed. Of course, Minerva McGonagall would never faint. Parish the thought." Albus shot the mirror a quick glance and resumed his pacing.
"Merlin, this weather is so hot." Albus complained loudly as sweat dripped down his forehead to run into his silk collar. "By the time I finish dressing I'll be soaked."
"Pardon me for suggesting anything unmuggle but…could you not manage a few drying charms?" Albus paled slightly at the mirror's logic.
"Ah…I wasn't thinking." He mumbled under his breath. Nerve related sweat lazily traveled down his neck as he muttered a drying charm. However, the poor flustered man confused several words of the simple charm and it did not work as he had hoped.
"My, you never do do things half way do you, sir?" the mirror asked amazed as Albus hurried to undo the intense blowing charm that had dried him but was pinning him against the wall with its hot blasts of air.
"I wanted to be sure."
"Of course, sir. Better hurry up though. I am sure Professor McGonagall is dieing to see you." Albus shot the mirror a watch-it look and the mirror sighed. (Mirrors can sigh, can't they?)
"Oh, I tried so hard to not say that. Good luck with your proposal, sir."
"Thank you." And so Albus Dumbledore pulled on his thick coat to cover his expensive silk suit and hurried from his chamber.
Meanwhile—
Minerva McGonagall sat down in front of her mirror, exhausted. Unlike most professors at Hogwarts, she did not have a charmed mirror and it only returned her reflection. It was indeed a tired reflection. Her usually intense green eyes were blankly dull and her normally pale face was quite ashen.
The usually stern and collected professor was at her wits end about what to do about that night. Something was nagging at her in the back of her mind that something was going on or that someone had invited her to do something. But at the moment she could not place it. Minerva sighed deeply and began to pull the many pins from her hair. Finally loose from the hairpin's clawed grip, her dark black hair cascaded down her back and Minerva began to massage her pounding head.
Stress had seen to it that the faithful teacher had an unlimited supply of migraines and headaches. Students had made it their life long passion to be sure to supply their dutiful professor with stress. All in all Minerva felt horrible at the end of the day and she still had papers to grade.
You really should relax more. She could hear Albus saying the comforting statement. But she almost cringed as she heard her reply echo back in her mind.
Oh, Albus. I can rest over the weekend. Needless to say, Minerva had never rested a single weekend in her life.
Once she had gone on a picnic with Albus on a Saturday. But she had brought along all her worries and work. After being a teacher for over twenty years, Minerva did not need paperwork to be in front of her to grade. She really needed a break.
"Isn't solitude bliss?" she said aloud to no one in particular. Minerva knew that if she were to take a well-deserved vacation, she would not rest a single moment alone with her over working, dutiful habits. Using a quick thought, she surmised she would probably spend the first few moments of a vacation planning what to do and then the rest of it…doing all the work that she should do when she returned to Hogwarts.
"Maybe I should take someone with me."
Then came the obvious question…whom to take?
Albus silently made his way through the hallways of the dimly lit school. It was late and Minerva and he had planned it that way. A late supper and a chess match was just what both of them needed after a long hard week. However, Minerva had no idea that Albus had bigger plans for their night than sandwiches and chess.
He arrived at the Deputy Headmistress's chambers at 30 minutes after 10 and using the password Minerva had given him Monday, Albus slipped into the sitting room. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness into which he descended into since walking into the room. His heart dropped into his nicely polished shoes when he surmised that Minerva had forgotten.
'Its all right.' He told himself. 'Monday to Friday is a long time to remember something so mundane.' However it was not mundane and Albus felt almost like crying. He had counted off the days, hours and minutes till this moment all to have it dashed on the rocks of poor memory.
Sadly he turned around and made his way to the door. Albus had just begun to open it when he heard a groan from behind him.
"Minerva?" Albus whispered. Truthfully it had to be Minerva, but he wanted to be sure. He quickly pulled out his wand and whispered 'Lumos'. The wand lit up the room greatly and he quickly saw Minerva half asleep on the couch.
"Are you all right?" He asked in a normal volume of voice. Minerva blinked in the light and frowned.
"What in the name of all good sense are you doing here?" she yawned, sounding surprisingly angry for a half asleep person.
"We had planned to have dinner together tonight." The simple statement filled the void of the room and Minerva's gasped.
"Oh no! I forgot didn't I?" It was an odd question, but Albus nodded. He felt better seeing her so forlorn over having forgotten. Still it would need to be rescheduled and he had everything ready that night…even his nerves.
"Yes, my dear. But we can do it tomorrow. It is a Saturday after all." He smiled cheerfully and lit several candles with his wand. No response came from Minerva. At first he thought she had fallen asleep again, but that theory went out the window, when she let out a heartfelt sob.
"You wore your suit." She murmured. Albus had bought the muggle suit last fall during the annual Muggle Festival. Minerva had wondered aloud how it was worn and the next day Albus had surprised her by wearing it. However he had worn his robe under it and the result had been very humorous.
Minerva found it difficult to think clearly with her head pounding so badly. However, it did not hurt badly enough for her to miss the painfully sad look in Albus' usually twinkling blue eyes. It hurt her deeply that she had caused that pain. Fatigue gripped her and her emotional barricade crumbled. A lone tear trickled down her from her tired eyes and Albus turned back to her as she let out a gasp of air.
"It is all right, Minerva. You do not need to cry." Albus carefully sat on the couch and wrapped his love into a gentle embrace. Whispering nonsense things that usually calmed Minerva down, he rocked her and rubbed her back. "We can do it tomorrow, dear." He whispered as he crying died down.
"No, we can't."
"Why not, Minerva?" he asked, greatly confused.
"You wanted to do it tonight." Albus smiled at Minerva's sensitivity.
"I can wait." He could now, knowing she cared so deeply for him, that even as tired as she was she could still see his desires and wants.
"No! Albus, do this, please. You wanted to and I want to spend time with you."
Albus nodded, slightly taken aback at the passion in which Minerva's spoke.
"Very well, a quick snack and a short game of chess." Minerva yawned and nodded.
"That sounds lovely."
A short time later—
Albus took the last bite from his sandwich and made his move. His knight captured one of Minerva's towers and he sighed. Minerva was so exhausted that Albus was winning.
"Check." He whispered as his knight blocked the movement of her king for the second time. Minerva sat up straighter and stared at the board.
"So I see. Check mate." She finished softly placing her last tower into the final position to capture his king.
"How in the name of Merlin did you do that?" Albus asked alarmed and shocked.
"Albus, I think you were taking into consideration that I was tired. So sorry, I wasn't." Suddenly Albus began to laugh.
"Tabby, you are by far the cleverest woman I have ever met or known." Albus said happily, using Minerva's 'pet' name.
"Thank you, I think." She murmured softly. Her shoulders were slumped and since the game was over, she felt her strength depleting.
"Would you marry me?" Albus replaced the smile with the most serious expression Minerva had ever seen.
"What?" she asked alarmed, looking up at him to be sure he had spoken instead of one of her daydreams.
"Would you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?" He pulled a box out of his nicely tailored suit and went to his knees by her chair.
Offering her the ring, Albus smiled. A tear trickled down Minerva's cheek and she smiled.
"You and your muggle ways." Minerva saw the charmed cat in the center of the ring and smiled.
"Yes. I will." She wrapped her arms around Albus and he lifted her from the chair.
"You are exhausted, my dear. I know what you need."
"What?" Minerva whispered, pushing her face into Albus' chest.
"A warm bath and then you need to go to bed."
He went to set her down by her bathroom door, but she resisted his efforts.
"Something wrong, Minerva?"
"I want to get married tonight."
Albus had not been expecting this and his mouth fell open. She wanted to get married tonight. 'Where did that come from?"
"What?" He asked.
"I want to become your wife tonight so I can go to bed with you." She could not have been more blunt, but since she was already exhausted, it could not really be helped.
"Very well. Moody might do it for us."
Two hours later--
After one of the least romantic but purely legal weddings ever, Albus and Minerva Dumbledore, as they were legally now, made their way back to the deputy's bedroom. They were both very tired and had hardly the energy to walk. Moody had been sure to take steps to secure their marriage license and he was the only one who knew they had married. Due to the fact that Albus was the Headmaster of Hogwarts, they had not needed a witness.
Neither one enjoyed the fact that they would have to remain secretly married, but they both knew it was necessary. Even if He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was destroyed and the world was safe once more, it would be a scandal if the media or the Ministry ever found out. Headmasters and their deputies rarely married in public. This is not saying that they never married one another. Being so close to each other for years had brought together many loving couples.
"Are you fine with it being a secret, Minerva?"
"Yes." The simplest answer to a difficult question.
"I am not questioning your loyalty, dear."
"I know."
Moments later found them both in Minerva's bed. She was fast asleep with Albus' arms securely around her, lost in a peaceful dream about cats playing in green meadows. He was as sleepless as he had ever been, watching the steady rise and fall of his beautiful wife's chest. Legal wedding do not include that famous line…"you may now kiss the bride"…and even if it had, Moody would not have allowed them to kiss in front of him.
Albus kissed her cheek gently, knowing he could kiss her in the morning.
Morning-
A certain recently married Headmaster rolled over and patted the empty bed next to him. He opened his eyes to find that he was alone in his own bedroom. At first he thought he had dreamed the whole last night but then he glanced down at his hand and saw his own wedding band.
It had been charmed to only show up when Minerva and Albus were alone in a room. Albus looked around the bedroom and smiled as his wife exited the bathroom.
"Good morning." He said cheerfully.
"Good morning." With a wave of her wand, Minerva quickly dried her wet hair and walked over to him. She still looked tired, but the shower and good night sleep had helped greatly.
"How did I get in here?" He asked softly.
"I moved you. It would have been…difficult for you to leave my room."
"How do you feel, my dear?" Albus asked thoughtfully, kissing his wife's hand. "If you feel up to it, I thought a picnic on the grounds would be lovely and then perhaps a long relaxing chess game."
Minerva's smile faded slightly and she bit her lip.
"It is Saturday, Albus." She said smoothly as though the statement would sum up the situation.
"Yes…I am aware of that. No school, so it is the perfect day for it." He concluded, clueless.
"I check papers on the weekend." Minerva argued, picking up her glasses from the bedside table.
"I thought I spoke with you about that. Besides you can check them after we have our picnic or even before." Minerva shook her head, walking away from him as she walked. She picked her robes up from a chair and began dressing.
"No, there is too much."
Albus climbed out of the bed and reached for his bathrobe.
"How much work do you have to do. I know my work does not take all weekend." Albus gave Minerva a knowing look and sighed as she looked away.
"I have many different assignments to grade."
"Maybe you should not assign so much homework." Albus said carefully watching his wife's back. She stiffened as his words left his mouth. Slowly she turned around.
"If I lowered my assignment amount or the quality of it…my students would not have a firm understanding when it comes to Transfiguration. It is a very complex study." Her voice had a steel sound to it and Albus almost swallowed at the stone look in her eyes.
"You work to hard."
"No, I work efficiently."
Albus took a step toward her.
"Yes, for right now it is efficient, for now. But what about next week or the week after that." He paused as she dropped her dagger-shooting glare to the floor. "You are exhausted when you finish the day, most people are. But then you go and work your tail off all weekend, instead of resting."
"But I…" Minerva stammered, clasping her hands together.
"Everyone loves the work you do, my dear. But a rest would help them just as much. They all rest, so can you." Albus smiled as she sat.
Minerva was beginning to panic. Albus was misunderstanding her hard work. Sure, she knew she needed a break, but now was not the time. Minerva looked down at her hands to find them shaking; her hands had never shook before. Albus looked down at her and she swallowed.
"I…I'll be taking a break." She said softly reverting to a deeper Scottish accent.
Albus smiled and knelt down, taking her hands in his. It was a shock to him to find them shaking. Concern etched in his eyes, he looked up at her.
"Are you all right?"
Albus' answer was not verbal but rather physical as Minerva suddenly collapsed. He caught her as she fell and felt her body go completely limp as he held her. Lifting her carefully, he carried her out into his sitting room and laid her on his couch. Minerva's eyes were wide open but Albus was not sure whether or not she was conscious.
"Wait a moment, Minerva, I'll go get Poppy."
One hour later—
Albus looked down at his wife's still form. Poppy had just left the room and the diagnosis looked grim.
"Albus?" Poppy called softly. He turned and slowly left Minerva.
"Will she need to be moved to St. Mungo's?" Poppy shook her head.
"No, she is just over worked. A week or two of rest should take care of it." Albus sighed with relief.
"I'm glad to hear that."
A groan elicited from the other room and Albus hurried in to find Minerva awake.
"What happened?" She groaned tiredly.
"You collapsed. But Poppy is certain that with a week or two of rest, you will be fine." Albus took her hands in his and squeezed them gently.
"Oh, I can do that." Minerva said weakly, giving Albus a small smile.
"Good. I'll take it with you."